Yours and Mine
by Eric Draven201
Summary: Dante and Lady get upset with each other and accidently cast a spell and now Lady has demon powers and Dante is completely human. How will the two cope with the sudden changes? New title. Rated for violence and languge.
1. Prologue

_A whole new fic I guess. This first piece is short , but I wanted to see if anyone would like it first before I go farther. As for all of my stories, Capcom owns the DMC crowd and please let me know if you see any errors. Thanks and please review._

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There was one word to describe it, passion. It was one long passionate kiss. Lady's mismatched eyes gazed past the sustained lip lock and into his ice blue orbs. She brought her arms around the nape of his neck and his around her waist. Both closed their eyes at the pinnacle of the warm embrace. It seemed that this moment could last forever…

Forever. That was a concept that was foreign to both. They had lost their families under very tragic circumstances and now they hid their sorrows behind demon hunting.

For now, this was true happiness… true love. Lady had by now noticed that Dante had ended his concupiscent hold on her body. Still, they were so close that his fair eyelashes threatened to tickle her face.

She could feel his breath as it softly wisps on her lips. She could smell a strange and yet familiar scent emanating from his mouth. She opened her eyes to see gray smoke exit from his mouth and nose. It curled towards the heavens and disappeared on the winds. Lady could detect pain flash across his eyes. He tried to hide it… he tried not to alarm her, but it was too late.

Lady soon realized that what she smelled, what she saw was gun smoke. She looked down to see that the front of white tank-top was covered in blood and that the viscous liquid was pouring from his chest and spilling over his pants and boots.

Already his breathing was becoming increasingly more erratic. Soon, Dante's body slumped as if he could no longer support his own weight. He then dropped to his knees and keeled over to the side. There was another wound in his back. _The bullet must have exited to the front, _she thought to herself.

She scarcely knew what happened. One moment they were kissing and the next he was on the ground.

Her instincts began to kick in as she automatically dropped to her knees next to him. She shuffled a little closer to him. Lady heard the sound of blood gurgling in his throat.

His white bangs drifted into his face in such a manner, that only the bottom of his nose and mouth was visible. For a moment she began to believe that he would be alright. _He's been through a lot worse than this before, he'll be fine… Won't he?_

Blood issued from the corner of his mouth as he tried to contort his lips into a smile. It was only slight, but he succeeded. _H_o_w can he still smile, while in such pain, _she questioned to herself. Lady brushed his hair out of his face and their eyes met again.

She looked away to apply pressure to his wound. He flinched slightly. One hand remained firmly on his chest and the other on his back. From this position, she could feel his heart slowly pounding away. He placed a massive hand on her slender one affixed to his frontal wound.

She rearranged her body so that she faced him again. Her eyes betrayed guilt, anger, sadness and panic all at once.

"Lady," Dante said in a low, airy voice, "run."

"There's no way I'm leaving you." Her voice was a little more forceful than she intended.

"He's gonna come after you too. You need to get out of here real fast." There was worry in his eyes.

"No… And besides, you promised me," she paused for a beat, "You promised that we'd face the demons together!"

"That may be a promise I might not be able to keep. I'm sorry." He brought a hand up to caress her face, but alas, he hadn't the strength to do it.

"Lady" his voice was barely audible, "Devils never cry. Smile for me… please." His words sent a shiver down her spine, which left her heart, mind and soul in a frenzy. _Why would he ask me to do that?_ The tears that she fought so hard to push back came streaming out nearly all at once. Nonetheless, she attempted to oblige him. She cracked a small smile and he could see the sadness behind it, but somehow it worked for him.

"Good. That's my girl. Did y'know that you're pretty when you smile?" His eyes slid close as he said, "Thank you, Lady."

"Dante," she called as she tried to calmly rouse him.

"Dante," she called again, this time panic rising in her voice.

"Dante!" She screamed his name as she began violently shaking him. Her calls seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. "DAAANTE," she screamed, throwing head back, letting loose a high pitched howl into the night. The full moon that hovered above them, illuminating the blood soaked field.

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_Do you like my prologue? Is it too much? I am looking for a new title for this... any suggestions? Oh, well, please review._


	2. Books are Bad

**A/N:** I'm back! This is the 1st or 2nd update I have done since Otakon and I have less than a month and a half to prepare for the next con. The title of this chapter doesn't necessarily reflect my views on reading. I aslo changed the title... still open to suggestions! Anywho... I hope you enjoy.

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Chapter 2: Books are Bad

We are getting ahead of ourselves here. This is not where this story begins. This tale begins in a mercenary's shop in the heart of the city. The shop is Devil May Cry.

There were no calls all day and the crew decided to pass the time, any way they could. Trish and Lady played poker, using skittles as chips. Vergil was lying on the red leather couch that ran parallel to the grated stairs. From there he'd throw a phantom sword towards the ceiling, giving it enough strength so that it would free fall and land next to him. The glowing blue swords surrounded him and the old couch. Only two sounds were heard like clockwork. TWISSH. Vergil sent the sword up. THAANG. The sword lands blade down in the floor.

Dante on the other hand, spent his time showering. After about fifteen minutes, he graced everyone with his presence. He was of course, shirtless wearing his leather pants with a white towel draped over his head. Vergil formed a sword in his hand and decided to snuff it out at the last second. At the same time Dante opened the refrigerator and grabbed a carton of orange juice. He opened it and proceeded to pour the contents straight into his mouth. In the blink of an eye, Vergil created another spirit sword and launched at Dante's head. Out of reflex, Dante activated his Quicksilver ability to stop time, only for the sword.

"Use a fucking glass," Vergil shouted. His phantom sword fizzled out existence. Dante only rolled his eyes.

"Dante's getting really good at that," Lady commented quietly to Trish who then agreed. There was a point where Dante would freeze time for an entire city block, but now he has gained enough control where he could concentrate on a single object or person.

The phone rang and Trish got up the answer it, "Devil May Cry... Yes. Yes, ma'am... Okay. Please calm down. Yes. Don't worry, we can take care of it. Yes... I believe that it would be safer for you to stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives. May I have some contact information from you? Okay, great. We can meet with you tomorrow night. Thanks. Good bye." She hung up the phone. "We got a password... Hey, Verge!"

"Huh?" His concentration slipped as he sent a sword through the ceiling.

"You have a job tomorrow night."

"But I have an exorcism _to_night." Vergil glared at the woman and all of the swords he created disappeared, in an explosion of beautiful crystalline swirls.

"Suck it up! Devils never cry." The blonde said giving more attitude to the blue clad devil. Dante snickered with a mouth still full of juice.

"What kind of job is it," Vergil asked with a defeated sigh.

"The woman thinks there are poltergeists in her home, so you'll need to do a reading and possibly have them removed by then."

"That would mean that I would have to do a cold reading today."

"She's sending a courier with photos of her house."

"Get Dante to do it," Vergil whined.

"Wha-? Don't rope me into this! You're the psychic of the family!"

"Dante," Vergil said giving a wolfish grin, "You and I both know that what you said isn't true."

'_As far as they know, I'm not_,' Dante shot back telepathically.

'_You lazy asshole!_'

"I know," Dante said with a grin as he turned back to his juice.

"Could you at least pick up some books for me?"

Dante let out a groan.

'_It's the least you can do, asshole,_' Vergil said telepathically while keeping a straight face.

"Fine," Dante sighed as he threw his hands up in defeat, "Give me the list."

Vergil scrawled down some titles and specifications for each book. Vergil had only wanted three books, but the notes that he jotted down made it seem as if he need much more. "And make sure you try to get the earliest edition for the first book and the latest for the final one" Dante's only response to Vergil was to rub his fore and middle fingers together with his thumb.

'_It's the least you can do,_' Dante mocked telepathically. Vergil grudgingly reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened it and produced a wad of cash, with plenty more in reserve. Dante's eyes grew wide and mouth gaped like a fish out of water. "_Psychics_ make more money," Vergil said slyly.

"At-hem" Dante cleared his throated and straightened up, "I'm off." He went to the door but stopped as if he forgot something. He went to his desk to grab his weapons and coat, he then sauntered over to the women playing cards. He wrapped his hand around Lady's wrist, which her response was to bring a glock to his forehead. "What do you want?"

"You're coming with me."

"Wha- What happened to asking?"

"I need a human and I'm pretty sure Vergil would like to see me fry with his reading selections."

"What?"

Dante decided to break it down for her, "I'm a demon, you're a human. Vergil chose some holy texts for me pick up. Demons can't touch them... but you can, hence the fact that you are coming with me." Before she could protest, Dante had already swept her up and slung her over his shoulder. He bid his counterparts a good day and stepped out of the door.

Moments later the pair were on the street making their way to the rare bookstore. Just as they rounded to corner to get to the front door, a figure bolted from the door way and knocked Lady down. All she could make out was the baggy camouflage pants that it wore. A stinging in the back of Dante's mind kept him from reacting. "Asshole," she shouted down the street as he rounded the corner.

"Lady, are you okay," Dante reached a hand down to help her up.

She could see the concern written plainly on his face. "I don't need your pity," she slapped his hand away and brought herself to her feet. He sighed in near disappointment.

"How are we supposed to be partners if your won't accept help when you need it. I understand that you would rather be independent, but just remember: no man is an island."

"You're one to talk. I've seen you take your fair share of beatings in combat, all because you don't want me to jump into the fray, all because I'm a human!"

"That's different."

"How's that different? It seems like a double standard to me."

"I can heal myself... so I can stand to take a few hits. But you can't. I don't want to see you get hurt. Trust me, if I could give you my powers I would." Lady's expression changed, but not to one of understanding. Hurt was painted across her face. She couldn't believe that he thought so little of her abilities; that she couldn't handle herself in battle. An errant tear trailed down her cheek. When she noticed it, she quickly wiped it away with her gloved hand. She spun on her heels, quick to hide any more emotion from Dante. Lady promptly walked into the store.

RIIING! A small brass bell announced Lady's presence to the proprietor. "Hello," the kindly old man said. Lady only threw up a hand in response. RINNG! Dante was in the store now. "Lady... wait."

"Just give me the list," Lady said angrily through gritted teeth. Dante fished in his pocket and handed her the list Vergil had made.

"Hey... sonny," the old man said just after a short whistle, "M'ere." He waved his hand inward, signaling for the white haired hunter to come closer. Dante walked up to the counter. "What'd you do to get the 'lil lady all riled up?" Dante towered over the balding old man. He looked so frail, but also seemed to be feisty at the same time. "I told her the truth," Dante uttered to the man, keeping his voice within whisper range.

"The truth? You know better that to tell women the truth."

"Excuse me?"

"What'd you say?"

"I told her that she doesn't accept help even when she needs it."

"Pishaw! Women nowadays, are what they call..." he searched for the word, "Independent. So, young men like yourself, need to adapt. Let her assert her freedom while you discreetly give her aide. Ya understand?" Dante nodded. "Good. Now kiss and make up before she gets even more upset."

"Uh...Wha-? No... we're..." Dante was turning red from embarrassment, "we're not involved."

"Sure, you aren't," the old man winked.

Dante walked down an aisle and found Lady with two crusty looking books while hunting down the last one. He walked up behind her and said, "I'm sorry."

"Water under the bridge," she replied without making eye contact. There was a long awkward silence.

"Is this the one," Dante asked trying to make conversation. Lady glanced just over her shoulder to see Dante point out the book and shove his hands in his pocket. "Are you really that paranoid in here," Lady laughed.

Dante scrunched his face and lied, "No."

"Oh, C'mon! I just saw you hide your hands as if your fingers were going to get chopped off!"

Dante decided to come clean, "When I come in here, I know that I can't touch anything, read any texts and I have to be careful of what I say. These kinds of books in my hands could very well burst into flames. And a lot of them are enchanted so if I say anything rash, it may come true. Lady, these kinds of books are _bad _news."

Lady threw her head back in a fit of laughter. "Are you serious?!" Soon the books in her arms were on the floor and she was clutching her sides so that she wouldn't burst at the seams. "Yeah, yeah... Yuk it up... But I'd be careful too if I were you."

"What do mean by that?" Lady's fit had ended.

"You're a descendent of a priestess, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"A priestess could just as easily cast an enchantment without realizing it."

"Pfft. You're full of it, Dante."

"Lady, I'm just—"

"So, you are saying that if I pick up a random book—"

"Lady, don't!"

Lady proceeded to pick up a leather bound book and opened it to the book's natural crease. "And if I were to read—"

"You're playing with fire!" Dante reflexively curled up to prepare for a blow of any kind.

"Ingredior ceterus semita," she read a random line from the book in the best spooky voice she could come up with. She went into another fit of giggles.

"That's not cool."

"Aw, C'mon, Dante! Nothing happened... you didn't get struck down by lightning or anything. You gotta get a hold of yourself. I have never heard of a devil being afraid of anything."

Lady picked up the books and found the final one. "I'll meet you at the check out counter, Dante," she said laughing.

Dante got to the register just as the old man rang up the books. "Your total comes up to 573.25, sonny."

"Are you serious?!"

"'Fraid so, kiddo."

"C'mon, Dante, pay the man." Dante bid farewell to the bulk of the wad (correction: Vergil's wad) and grabbed the bag that held the books. The two left the store and headed back to the shop. Dante stopped dead in his tracks when he felt the same stinging sensation as earlier. "Dante, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," he lied.

What he didn't tell her was that he was sensing a paladin; a knight charged with eradicating all demons, no matter their affiliation. Dante hadn't felt one following him since we was a teenager. And it was an uneasy feeling indeed. No matter how unsettling it felt to be followed, he couldn't let it know that he was wise to the game and he definitely could not lead it home and put Vergil and Trish at risk as well.

"Hey, Lady, what do you say I take you out to drinks...? Vergil's treat."

"What, now?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

The couple walked into a random bar, just at the end of the street. "Drinking contest! Drinking contest starts in five minutes! Buy in is only ten bucks," shouted the stocky bar owner.

"Lucky me...this is my kind of bar," Dante commented to Lady, "Do you want in?"

"Sure, but if you join, isn't it cheating?"

"They don't have to know," Dante said slyly. "Two more," Dante shouted up to the bartender.

"And we got two more newcomers! Any other takers?" There was no answer to the owner's last call. "Okay, someone get the newbies a seat. Alright, the rules stand... Each one of youse get a bottle of your choosing. The last one that hasn't given up or passed out gets the pot. Right now the pot stands at two hundred dollars. Any questions?" He scanned the crowd for anyone who didn't understand the rules. "Okay let's begin, the contest starts on my mark."

"Pick yer poison, handsome," a bartender told Dante. She was overweight, and seemed to be around her fifties, with red hair. Dante was sure she was a knock-out back in her day. Dante tilted his head to the side, allowing platinum locks to fall into his face. With a wide smile he pointed out the large bottle of Everclear behind her. "Corn liquor," she asked in astonishment, "Are you sure?" Dante nodded. "I don't think a light weight like you could handle it. What are you, like a buck eighty?"

"You'd be surprised," Dante replied.

"Okaaay, it's your funeral, kid. Earl, you'd better get an ambulance on the horn, this one here ordered the Everclear," she stuck a thumb in Dante's direction. She set a rock glass in front of Dante and cleaned a thick layer of dust off of the unopened bottle. The bartender continued down the line, asking everyone for their drink of choice. Lady picked a cheap bottle of rum and the contest was underway.

"You all should know your limits here," the owner began, "When you feel like you can't take anymore, kindly put your hand over your glass and we'll mark it as a surrender. Ready?" Dante slipped out of his leather coat, revealing that he was shirtless underneath, sending many women into a swoon. The owner rolled his eyes and continued, "You ready, pretty boy?"

"Yeah."

"Get set. GO!" And the contestants were off. Each of the twenty had a system to putting away the liquor. Some foolishly took it straight to the head. They were out in a matter of moments. Others prudently paced themselves. Lady was finished after her fourth or fifth shot. Only a few minutes into the competition there were only three contestants left. Dante sat in the middle. To his right was a man in a blue business suit who was nearly half way through a bottle Jim Bean. (Never, ever underestimated the alcoholic capacity of a business man!) To Dante's left was a man dressed in a black tee shirt and a pair of camouflage pants. His drink of choice was Bombay Sapphire. Dante was going strong with his bottle. Only a third of it was left.

THUD! Another contestant was gone. Dante looked to his left and the camo guy was on the floor. Dante learned over with his glass held high as he exclaimed, "Mazel Tov!" The business man downed his next glass, confident the boy to he is left would not win. Dante was finally getting tipsy, and the bottle was just about gone.

_That boy isn't human... the sheer amount of alcohol... He should have succumbed to alcohol poisoning by now, _the business man thought, _No matter, let the fool keep drinking... if he passes out, I win. _Dante looked over at the man next to him, "Slow and steady, huh?"

"What?"

"Is that how you intend to win this race?... So be it." Dante shrugged and called for another bottle. Dante opened his new bottle and poured the clear liquid into his glass. "You finished yet?"

The man was starting to get intimidated. He looked at his bottle, which hadn't cleared the half-way point yet. All he concentrated on was the smug look on Dante's face and the fact that –

_Is the room spinning?_

The man stared at his bottle again and it seemed to laugh at him. MWHAHAHA!

"Whooo! Another," Dante hollered as the bar cheered him on. Dante had polished off another bottle. The man looked in disbelief at the white-haired young man next to him. A few short moments had passed before Dante had asked for more. True to what the bartender had suggested, EMTs were on standby just in case either passed out or died.

"Kid's got a liver of steel," the bartender said to the owner. Lady put a hand on Dante's shoulder. Sure she was drunk, but she was coherent enough to know when it was time to call it quits. "Dante, I'm sure that you got this guy beat."

"Okay... One more for the road." Before Dante could bring the glass to his lips, the other man placed a hand over his drink. "No more," he said, "I am sure if I ever attempted to truly keep up with you, it would mean certain death for me."

"No biggie, guy," Dante slurred as he reached over to shake the man's hand.

"Dude! Where's mah monay," stumbled from Dante's lips.

Dante put on his coat and the owner gave up the two hundred dollars as promised. "Thanks, guy," Dante said.

"Hey kid," the bartender spoke up with genuine concern written on her face, "Are you okay to get home?" Dante looked over to see that his competitor with his head down on the bar top. The other one with the camo pants was still passed out on the floor. Dante leaned over more to get a closer look at the man, but nearly fell off the stool. He would have if Lady wasn't there to act as a secondary support.

"I'm cool. 'S no biggie... Me and mah gul walked hur. C'mon hon, les' go home." Dante picked up the bag of books and stumbled to the door. "Lemme carry you home," Dante whispered to Lady.

"You can barely stand, let alone carry me."

"Meh. Your loss."

The two trekked back to the shop, two hundred dollars richer. As for Dante, he could sense that paladin was no longer tracking him. At least his original plan worked. Some time later they walked into Devil May Cry as Dante greeted the seemingly empty shop with a loud, "Lucy, I'm home!" As soon as he stepped across the threshold, Dante dropped to his knees gripping his stomach and cupping another hand in front of his mouth. "What's up," Lady questioned.

"I don't feel so good," Dante whined. Before Lady could manage a full blink, she tracked a red blur moving past her and into the bathroom. The door swung back on its hinge and Dante was already there shoving his face just over the toilet. WAAAAAAGUH! BLEECH!

"Hey," Trish said making her way down the stairs, "You guys are back. Took you long enough."

WAAAAAAGUH! "Oh God! Why is it so chunky?!"

"And I see that Dante's praying to the porcelain god," Trish added.

"Yeah," Lady sighed, "Its business as usual around here."

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So you all probably saw my sad attempt at Latin... (its okay... feel free to laugh.) If you can guess what the phrase, _ingredior ceterus semita__, _means... you may win a hug.


	3. These Words

I have been procrastinating about this one for a while. As for the Latin stuff in the last chapter, it basically means to walk a mile in another's shoes. Thanks for everyone's reviews and adds... they really made my day (A hug for everyone)! Anyways... I hope you like what I have to offer. Enjoy!

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Chapter 3: These words

Dante spent the night there, on the tiled floor. The women found the kindness in their hearts to leave him a pillow and a blanket and leave with his money. A mere two hundred dollars wasn't going to fully purchase their tastes, but it was a start.

The morning light rolled in through the lobby, saturating the area. It crept along the wooden floorboards and stopped just shy of the bathroom. Dante felt the brightness on his face and turned, facing the commode to rid himself of it. Hangovers were tough and he was resolute in sleeping it through. Even in his fight to stay aloft in his dreams, he didn't dare to turn over when heard the deliberate boot steps behind him. He inhaled lightly, in a vain attempt to keep the pounding migraine that was in his near future at bay. "Go away, Vergil," his voice was muffled by his pillow. He heard the rattle of a pill bottle. "Go away," he whined, "its too loud!" The bottle popped open and two aspirins were placed in one of Dante's open hands. A bottle of water was sat not too far away from his face.

The presence stayed in the room; in fact, it sat against the wall, just opposite of the toilet facing Dante. "What do you want," Dante's face was still buried in his pillow. "Take the pills, Dante," Vergil said, "it will make you feel better." Dante chucked them into the toilet, "I don't need your pity."

"Fine, suffer. Do you have my books?"

"Probably in the main room," Dante winced. By now the headache was in full effect. He could imagine it clearly; what was going in his head. It was like a beautiful woman was dancing the Merengue in stiletto heels, kicking up brain matter with each provocative step. He truly wanted to cry now. His brows knit together in pain and Vergil saw it. He learned over and tapped two more pills out and into his brother's hand. "Take it," He said a little more firmly.

"So you found them," Vergil questioned. It was easy to get Dante to answer his questions without getting cyclical answers and double talk when he was like this. It was mainly because he wanted to be left alone. Straight answers so that he could be left to wallow in the mistakes of yesterday. Dante popped the pills into his mouth and guzzled the water. The sudden movements sent his pain into a full frenzy. He could have sworn that the lone dancer had trilled her tongue before stomping her heels deep into the gray matter. _Olé!_ He put his aching head against the cool floor. It felt so good. The room fell silent and Vergil got up to leave.

"I sense one last night," Dante whispered, "I think he was following me."

"A paladin," Vergil questioned, suddenly interested as he stopped in the door frame.

"Yes. I think I lured him away," Dante's voice still conscious of the volume. Vergil knew exactly how hard it was to shake them. When they were younger, Eva had to constantly pack their things yet another move. They never knew why, only that their mother had told them that it was important to keep running. Sometime before Temen-ni-gru, one had tailed Vergil for months and through three different countries. Fighting one was also filled with equal danger. Each of them always equipped some type of mystical item that could kill a full demon in a matter of moments.

Vergil never shared that with Dante, but he was sure that his twin had experiences with these paladins that _he'd_ never talk about. Something did gnaw in the back of his mind... Was it demons that killed his mother or had the paladins gotten to her first? He shook it off and brought himself to the present, "He may still be in the area."

"I figured that much out," sarcasm bubbling in Dante's voice, "But you've got to warn Trish and Lady."

"Why Lady? She's not a demon and therefore, not in any immediate danger."

"No, but they _will_ kill any human who consorts with demons or gets in their way." There was that gnawing in Vergil's head again causing him to grow silent. Dante stood up and grabbed his pillow and blankets.

"Where are you going," Vergil asked.

"Bed's more comfortable anyways," Dante answered. Just as he stepped into the lobby/den, Dante was blinded by the bright sunlight. He squeezed his eyes shut as he groped for stairs' handrails. He found them and his way up to his room where he planned to sleep away the rest of the hangover.

--

Some miles away, in the center of urban Capitalism... also known as a shopping mall, Trish and Lady browsed the racks of an upscale boutique. "Ooh! How about this one," Lady asked Trish as she picked up a Gothic-Lolita inspired dress.

Trish let out a small gasp and snatched it up to try it on. In a flash, she was in and out of the dressing room in a flash and then exclaimed, "I'll take it!"

"Wait a minute," Lady said looking at the price tag, "It cost almost two hundred-fifty dollars. That's more cash than we got." Both women could appreciate the craftsmanship of the dress. They loved the fact that the colors weren't extremely bubbly like the others. The details were ornate and particularly well-made, as if the seamstress feverishly sewed, looking for perfection. It may actually be authentic Lolita. So the high cost made some sense.

Trish produced a red leather wallet, seemingly out of nowhere and proceeded to pull out a credit card with the name 'Dante Sparda' printed across the bottom in raised lettering. "How did you—" Lady began to ask, but dropped the question, not wanting to really know how the blonde she-devil managed to steal Dante's wallet. Lady wanted the dress at first, but now as she began to think about him and how they left him this morning, her appetite for the clothes waned.

Why had she felt guilt in that moment? After, the idiot had gotten _himself_ into that position. Right now it had only been a hangover, but had he been a normal human being, he would have died last night. "What is the matter," Trish asked Lady, pulling her out of earshot of the store clerk and other customers, "You've been like this since you got home last night."

"It's nothing," she lied.

"Don't give me that! What happened between you two? He must have said something to really piss you off."

_Am I really that easy to read_, Lady thought. She felt that she couldn't hide it anymore. "He told me that I was too stubborn for my own good."

"And? How is that news?" Lady shot Trish a glare for that remark. Trish only chuckled and said, "Okay continue."

"I get the feeling that Dante's hiding something from me, because he thinks that I can't handle myself."

"Aww, is that all hon," Trish began downplaying Lady's concerns, "We all feel like that we should keep an eye out for you because you are human, but Vergil and I feel that you are more than capable of taking care of yourself. Dante is only being overprotective, because he cares about you. But I only think that you are acting this way, because you like him."

"What? Yeah, I like him. It's like having a crazy older brother." Her mismatched eyes shifted back and forth.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!"

"Ha! Dante?! He's an arrogant, bull-headed, chauvinistic –"

"Sounds like he matches you perfectly," Trish smiled, "When he tries to help, you don't feel offended... it's only a cover. For some reason you feel ashamed that he watches your back, like he's supposed. I think he likes you too, but you both are too stubborn to admit it." Lady blushed.

"But–"

"No. No. Let me finish. Dante thinks highly of you and your skills, otherwise he'd never hang out with you. He simply doesn't want anything to happen to you. Besides, I think it's kind of sweet that he's willing to take a bullet ... or a sword for you."

"I don't think that any of you will ever get how useless that makes me feel. None of you have any idea what its like to be the only human here. I just wish that he could at least understand what its like to live without any powers."

"Lady, I'm sure that if he _could_ he would have given up his legacy long ago. The question I have for you is that if Dante were to become a human, how would you fare as a demon?"

Lady honestly had no recourse to that question. She cast her odd-colored eyes to the floor. Trish put the dress back on its proper rack and brought an arm around her friend's shoulder, "C'mon. We'll head back to the shop. It will make you feel better" The latter chimed like a song. Trish's comment brought a scowl to Lady's face. She was pissed that the demoness somehow knew that checking on Dante would put her at ease. The pair left the little boutique to head back to Devil May Cry.

--

Some thirty minutes later, the women were in back in the shop and in Dante's room.

"So, when do you plan on cleaning up this heap," Trish began torturing the poor half-demon.

"Yeah" Lady added to his headache, "This room's a mess."

Their chattering was only met by a loud, muffled groan from Dante. Happy that they got some kind of response, Trish followed up with, "Sorry hon, I know that you probably still feel like crap." Another low groan from Dante. "But would you like anything?"

Dante pulled his pillow off of the back of his head and turn his neck to the side and answered, "¡Mas dormir, menos hablar!"

"Fine, fine," Lady exploded, "We're leaving. Jeez, you're such an ass! You hardly ever experience pain and when you do, you act like the world is ending! You need to walk a mile in my shoes and see how it really goes!" Lady pointed a thumb to her chest, reiterating her point.

"Oh, yeah?!" Dante retorted, despite his own volume worsening his migraines, "you ought to try out being a demon sometime... It's A LOT harder than you think!"

"I don't see how," Lady continued the shouting match, "I see you, Vergil and Trish use your powers all the time for personal gain, because you all are too lazy to do things for yourselves!"

"Hey," Trish pouted as she cut in for a second, "I resent that!"

"Stay out of it Trish," Lady sustained, "I CAN'T possibly see how hard it is to be a demon!"

Lady turned to storm out of the room, but bumped into Vergil who was carrying an arm load of books on the occult in the hallway. As soon as her hand came into contact with one of the books, she yelled at the red clad hunter, "I wish you were a human, Dante!"

"I wish you were a demon, Mary!" She growled in anger at the name, she had tried so hard to dissociate from. Dante stood from the bed and stepped to her, towering over the ebony haired huntress with his menacing height. As he ended his sentence and bright white aura surrounded Lady and red enveloped Dante. The two colors peeled away from their occupiers and swapped in mid-air. They slammed into the chests of their new bodies, now red for Lady and white for Dante. The two were sent flying into two separate walls, with thuds and denting the spots where they hit.

Lady slowly brought herself to her feet. "Are you okay," Vergil asked motioning to help her up. She knocked his hand aside and said, "I'm fine." She turned her attention Dante who still hadn't stirred from the awkward position where he landed.

"Dante?" Trish tried to rouse him, with no response. He was still breathing, she could tell that from the rise and fall of his chest. She shook him again. She assessed that he may have a concussion and from the way his right leg was oddly situated, that he may have broken it. "He's unconscious. Lady," she looked up at her friend with concern on her face, "what exactly did you do?"

* * *

Vergil: Daaayum, son! You got knocked the (bleep) out!

Eric: All because he said that he wanted more sleep and less talking! Anywho... Please review!


	4. Trading Spaces: Demon Edition

Chapter 4: Trading Spaces: Demon Edition

The sounds and the stabbing pains in his right leg were what brought Dante around. There were muffled voices shot to one another in close proximity. They were not frantic in the very least. Calm was how he would describe it, especially the deep baritone that seemed to be the closest to him. It was as if they were used to this sort of thing. Ringing filled his ears and threatened to overtake bustling sounds around him. In his groggy state, he tried to make out the conversation but it came across to him as nothing more than gibberish. He gave up on that endeavor.

He felt violated as his eyelids were forced open as a penlight was shined into his exposed eyes. He let out a low moan as he reflexively moved his head away. "Looks like he's waking up," the baritone voice suddenly came in loud and clear, "Kiddo, do you where you are at? What's your name?" The doctor tried to get Dante to answer simple questions in order to check for brain damage.

"Give it back," Dante slurred.

"What are talking about, son? We haven't taken anything from you," the baritone voice, which he now assumed to be a doctor, said, "He's probably still a little delirious."

Dante slowly opened his eyes only to snap them shut, pushing out the bright lights. "Is he going to be okay," he heard Lady's guilt-ridden voice ask.

"He'll be just fine," the doctor replied, "We are to take him to radiology for a CT scan to rule out any other injuries and I will return to talk to you in bit."

As the doctor spoke to Lady, she watched as Dante weakly swat away a nurse's helping hand as a few of them wheeled his gurney to the elevator. She took the hint and moved purposelessly to the waiting where Vergil and Trish were seated.

"What's the word," Trish's silky voice came from behind the magazine she was reading.

"They took him somewhere to run some tests. The doctor said he'll be back once they are finished," Lady returned still a bit stunned by what happened at the shop.

"Sounds like he's got a concussion," Trish replied dismissively as she turned a page.

"How would you know? It could be something much more serious," Lady shot back as the stress combined with fear and anger were getting to her.

Vergil noticed that her distress was causing a thick plume of unseen demonic energy to grow around her. He put steady hand on top of her trembling ones. Lady looked into his icy azure eyes. He broke his silence, "Keep your emotions in check. Your aura alone will attract scores of demons... not to mention other threats." She nodded and sat back trying to cool down. Vergil leaned back, fiddling with the Rubik's Cube that he brought with him. Silence fell upon the trio again and Lady could not stand it. _How could they be so goddamned complacent_, her mind screamed. Trish quietly flipped through her magazine, Vergil was hard at work on his puzzle, the receptionist at the front desk filed her nails and the rest of the people in the opulent waiting area went about their business. The rhythmic drippings of the busted water fountain in the corner drove her insane.

She promptly stood to race off to wherever Dante was. The guilt was eating at her. She believed that her extreme selfishness was what got him hurt. Before she could run, Vergil had wrapped his hand around her wrist. "Sit," he simply said. She looked back at him, and he brought his eyes up to her and then slid them to the direction of her chair. "Sit," he repeated. She obeyed, but huffed as she threw her arms across her chest and poked her bottom lip out like a defeated six-year-old.

"We're all a little on edge, honey," Trish plainly stated, "but it will do no one any good for you to pace back and forth like a madwoman." Lady gave a small sigh as she gazed at the floor.

"It's all my fault. I think he knows that. He said, 'Give it back' before they took him away," Lady quietly spoke, "How do I do that?" It was pretty obvious to Lady that she was no longer a human. She had been the one to suggest that they bring Dante to the hospital and she had been the on easily stuffed him into the back seat of her car as if had weighed nothing. If he weighed somewhere around two hundred pounds, then it goes without saying that Kalina Ann probably will not seem so heavy anymore. Every surface and every person had an unnatural sheen, its own auras. All of the inanimate objects in the room had a soft golden glow to them and the humans were surrounded by white lights. She glanced at Trish and spied her aura, which was as black as night with lavender intertwining it. It behaved much like she did, undulating like the gentle waves on a calm lake. Then there was Vergil and the atmosphere he exuded. His was a cloudy blue, billowing and curling around him with the coolness of a block of ice.

She watched in quiet awe that within the span of twenty seconds, Vergil had solved and re-scrambled the Cube over ten times. "What would you call this," Lady asked Vergil.

"Call what," Vergil responded as he unscrambled the cube for the umpteenth time.

"The reason why everything in here is lit up like a rave."

"Oh... that," he mentioned the latter offhandedly, "One of Dante's psychokinetic abilities."

"Wait... What?"

"You heard right, woman. Need I repeat myself?"

"This all so fast. I—" Lady could not finish her sentence.

Vergil picked up for her, sensing what she was going to ask, "Demons don't all rely on brute strength. A lot of us have all kinds of powers; some have many, others have few. Among plenty of things, Dante and I have some psychic abilities. I can summon spectral beings in the form of swords and use telepathy."

"Telepathy? You can read people's minds?"

"Yeah," he was again so blasé about it, "So could Dante to a point." Lady's jaw dropped. The last thing that she ever wanted was for that perverted man to be able to dig around in her head. Vergil continued, "With my abilities I can hear the will of my enemy before he carries it out and Dante can see it. He could tell who was human or demon and if they were friend or foe... He could read their... aura, as he would put it. We do not use it unless it is absolutely necessary."

"Yes, well how do I turn it off?" The lights were giving Lady a headache.

"You don't simply 'turn it off,' my dear. You distance yourself from it. Concentrate on something else until it seems to fade to the background."

"How?"

"It comes with some practice. When you see Dante, why don't you ask him? It is _his_ power, after all," With that Vergil stood up and placed his solved puzzle on the coffee table before him.

Lady grabbed his hand and asked him, "Where are you going?"

He eyed her and answered, "Not that it is any of your business, I am going for a walk." He let loose a low chuckle and said, "It looks like you are just as high-strung as he is." Vergil then walked away.

_Was he right?_ Lady always did think that Dante may have had some kind of 'demonic ADHD.' That is what she thought explained his seemingly boundless energy maybe even his agitation of the past few days. Had she inherited that as well?

Little did she know; Vergil was not referring to that, but rather the paladin. They had yet to reveal his existence to their female counterparts.

Another ten minutes passed and Vergil returned with three cups of coffee. He placed his down and passed the other two out as he said, "Regular for Trish and decaf for Lady."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny," Lady responded deadpanned. Vergil gave a little smirk.

As promised the doctor returned to speak about Dante's prognosis. He promptly walked over to Vergil, realizing that he was Dante's next of kin.

"Ah, Mr. Sparda," the doctor shook Vergil's hand.

"I wonder what gave it away," Vergil muttered under his breath. The doctor did not hear the comment, but Trish punched him in the arm for being rude.

The doctor ignored the fact that Trish had blatantly battered the man, "I'm Dr. Young and I am the attending physician in charge of your brother's case today."

"How's Dante," Trish cut to the chase.

"He's doing well. He's got a concussion and also a fracture to his right fibula, just below the knee. It was a clean break and we reset the bone, so it doesn't look like he'll need any rods or screws." Lady sighed in relief. The doctor then added, "You can take him home tonight."

"Really? Already," Trish questioned.

"Yes. His injuries weren't that serious. But they could have been. Do you mind telling me what happened today?"

Trish and Lady drew a blank as to how they could begin to explain Dante's injuries. It was Vergil who stepped in and expertly lied to the Dr. Young, "My brother and I run a martial arts dojo, not far from here. We were sparring and things got out of hand."

"Ah, okay. But you need to take it easy on the sparring, either one of you could have ended up being seriously hurt."

"Will do," Vergil grinned.

"He may still be a little disoriented and confused. Just make sure that you watch him for the next few days. If he worsens, bring him back here immediately. Make sure that he gets plenty of bed rest."

"You said he broke his leg," Trish began, "how long is he going to stay in a cast?"

"Well I can say that looking at him and you all, he leads a very active lifestyle. Since he is so fit, I don't expect him to remain in a cast much longer than six weeks."

"Ooh, almost two months? He is not going to like that," Vergil replied.

"I know," the doctor agreed, "Not many people enjoy being laid up with a broken leg, but it is important that he stays off of it... at least for the first week. Only then would I like him to get back to his daily activities..." He looked at Vergil and thought of the injuries he inflicted on Dante during a 'practice' round. He then added, "Well, in a smaller capacity. There is also the matter of rehabilitation. There is a physical therapy center down the street. See that he makes an appointment."

"Yeah, yeah... I hear ya," another voice cut across the conversation. The group looked up to see Dante hobbling over to them in a set of adjustable metal crutches. From there they could see that he had already picked out a cast of his trademark color, wrapping most of his lower leg and just his toes peeking out at the end.

"Sir, you should really consider resting a bit," a nurse unsuccessfully chased the fair-haired hunter with a wheelchair. She had been after him since the third floor.

"Back away, woman," Dante jabbed at her with a crutch. Trish was the first to notice he spectacle of a chubby nurse chasing Dante who somehow managed to keep a fair lead on crutches. She wanted to laugh, but she fought to hold it in.

"Look, Doc," Dante continued trying to ignore the overzealous nurse, "It's not like it's my first time breaking a leg. I know the deal."

"Good, so I can trust you to stay off your feet," Dr. Young replied.

"Sure, I can play nice until it heals," Dante shrugged as he expertly balanced on the crutches.

The doctor nodded fully believing the half-truth Dante just told, "I want you to make an appointment with Dr. Warren. She holds an orthopedic practice in the physical therapy center. I want you to see her in three weeks." As he continued to speak, Dante lowered himself into a chair. "How's the pain," Dr. Young stopped his rambling long enough to ask.

"I'm good," Dante seethed, trying his best to cover up the ache in his leg. Dull twinges radiated from the break-point. It did definitely hurt when they reset the bone, but the concussion kept him out of it for the worse parts.

"Well here is a prescription for some painkillers, just in case it becomes too intense." Dr. Young pulled out a prescription pad and began scribbling.

"I don't need them." The doctor stopped scribbling at Dante's.

"Are you sure, Son? A broken leg can hurt... a lot. Some mild medications are helping with your pain management right now. If you believe that it has plateaued, then you are going to be in for a rude awakening."

"Dante, I think you should really listen to him," Lady appealed to him, "That stuff can hurt pretty badly in the long run." Dante shook his head anyways. Lady turned to the doctor and said, "We'll hang onto the prescription. If he feels differently about it in the next few days then we will fill it."

The notion appeased both Dante and the doctor. In the past, Dante had an unusually high threshold for pain, if he ever felt any before. Sure, she _could_ gently remind Dante that he was no longer a demon and this was not one of those simple impalements that healed over in mere hours. She _could_ tell him that it takes a normal human being at least two months to heal a broken bone. But Lady felt that this was one of things that Dante should find out on his own. Besides, he deserved it.

It was a rollercoaster with her. She was up and she was down; she was hot and cold. One moment felt like she needed to save Dante from himself and other times –

"We ought to head back. Are there anything else we need to know," Vergil moved to wrap things up. With that, they bid their farewells and piled into the car. The crew pulled up the front of Devil May Cry not much later and Dante's learning experience had just begun.

"Dante, what's wrong," Lady held in a snigger as Dante's face paled.

"N-nothing," he lied as he gazed at his worst enemy – stairs. He did not think that his shop had so many, but his current condition changed his perspective.

"Would you like some help," Her voice came sweetly, hiding the fact that she was mocking him.

"No, I'm fine," Dante said as he pushed his crutches ahead of him. Vergil and Trish had already headed inside and it was just he and Lady left outside. He hopped up the first two steps and stopped to look up at her as she stood on the top landing near the front door. "You're enjoying this, aren't you," Dante stated, straining to keep his balance.

Lady held up her pointer and thumb, signaling 'a little'. She smiled, "Hurry up, devil-boy. You're burning daylight." He hobbled up the front stairs, cursing and muttering the whole way. By the time he had reached the front door, he had already decided that if he ever made up to his room, he would never descend the stairs again.

He and she stepped inside and were greeted with a frosty, "Took you long enough." Dante looked up to see Vergil was sitting on his couch with his arms stretched out across the back.

"No thanks to you," Dante rolled his eyes as he pulled the coffee table closer to the chair he hovered over.

"How do you figure that this is my fault?"

"Never mind that," Dante sucked in air as he raised his casted leg onto the table, "How do we reverse this?"

Vergil tossed Dante a throw pillow. Trish had bought them, claiming that they will bring a nice touch to Dante's drab dwelling. He tucked it under his leg and sat back in his chair.

"Firstly, I do not know which book was used as a catalyst and secondly, it seems that you both set in motion a spell of passion. I can not fix that... In fact, I won't even touch that with a fifty foot pole, those kinds of spells are much too troublesome."

"Wait... What are you talking about," Lady cut in.

Vergil faced her and responded, "Those types of spells are always conjured by witches who are not in control of their emotions. Needless to say, the same can be said for half-devils. A spell of passion is similar to a crime of passion. Both happen in the heat of the moment with little or no thought. The interesting part about all of that is that you two managed to be in sync enough to cast the same spell at the same time." Vergil let out a mirthful chuckle.

"What's so funny," Dante was almost too afraid to ask.

"The only greater harmony is between those who have made love."

"Dante," Lady growled as she drew her weapon and cocked it, "What have you been telling your brother?!"

"N-Nothing!"

"I think Trish is calling me to the kitchen," Vergil lied.

Vergil had already teleported away once he saw the glint of her gun. Poor Dante was left there... alone with a very angry Lady. He bolted from his chair only to gracelessly fall from it. Dante then, belly-crawled behind the couch, pulling his leaden leg behind him.

"Don't shoot," Dante called out to Lady, "Remember, I'm a human... you wouldn't shoot a human, would you?" To his surprise, she did. Well, she shot _at_ him. The bullet spiraled through the couch, inches from his face and into the wood floorboard in front of him. All he could do was stare at the smoking hole in the floor and shout, "Ya bitch!"

"You are not any position to—," she began yelling before trailing off.

He poked his head from behind the couch to see Lady holding her forehead and easing herself into a chair. "You okay," Dante asked sensing that she was no longer a threat. He pulled himself to his feet and made a one-legged hop towards her.

"Just got a little dizzy is all," she quietly answered.

"Yeah... some auras in the room can be a little overwhelming. It can make you feel like you're in a disco or a rave. But, hey it helps if a demon managed to shape shift into office furniture or something," he tried to comfort her.

"No, its not that," she shook head and gave a slight chuckle to let him know that she was okay, "I already got used to your power to get to know people through disco lights. It's just that— Never mind... it's nothing. I'm probably just imagining it."

"Don't give me that. What is it?"

"Well... Do you ever feel like someone's watching you?" Dante froze at her inquiry. "Dante, what aren't you telling me?"

Dante hopped back to the couch and sat down. He brought his azure eyes up to meet her mismatched ones with a serious expression his face. He took a deep breath and replied with a question of his own, "Lady, what do you know about paladins."

* * *

_I promised I'd update... eventually. I hoped you enjoyed it. A special thanks goes out to anyone who bothered to read, review, or even added this story. Arigatou, Gratzie, Danke, Gracias and so forth. Please don't forget to review.... constructive criticisms are welcomed._


	5. Not Quite WOW

Chapter 5: Not Quite WOW

"Paladins," Lady questioned almost wanting to laugh, "You mean those 'World of Warcraft' characters that run around like over-glorified knights?" She had previously watched Vergil feverishly play the online game before tiring of decimating the weak opposition and the toll that it took on his bank account.

"As much as I wish it were all a WOW fantasy," Dante's expression grave, voice without the slightest hint of humor, "Paladins are real and they are devil hunters."

"And? So what? If you hadn't noticed, that's what we do too." She narrowed her eyes as if to say, 'duh'.

"No, Lady," Dante began clearing up the misunderstanding, "We hunt with a purpose. We protect the innocents, be they human or devils wanting to live in peace outside of the Demon's Realm. Paladins hunt indiscriminately. They kill without mercy. They slaughter demons no without distinction of them being good or evil. They are known to murder humans simply for being affiliated with a devil. I have lived my whole life knowing that full-breeds believe that half-breeds are abominations, but the paladins take that hate to a whole 'nother level; they'd like nothing more than to eradicate us all."

For a long time, her face was free of expression. The muscles at the corner of her lips twitched, wanting to smile if were all a joke, wanting to frown if it wasn't. She studied his face, waiting for the cue; the one that always lets her know that he could no longer keep a straight face. Confusion set in when there was none.

The smile continued to jerk at her face and she let it as she said, "You're kidding... right," the pause long enough so that her uncertainty resounded through the silence.

"I wish were a lie. I wish it was all a game," he uttered with a wistful smirk. Lady still digested the information and yet, could not see the severity of the situation. He thought it best to reiterate his point. "Look, Lady, I never told anybody this before, not even Vergil, but I had been attacked by a paladin before." Dante pulled up his shirt and leaned in, so that Lady could get a closer look. He pulled her hand closer so that she may trace the long, skinny raised scars that crossed from his left side to nearly his back.

He then explained, "I was sixteen and I thought I was invincible. When I had finally sensed her, it was already too late."

_Dante stood from the mangled demon's corpse and maneuvered Rebellion, so that he could lop off its head in a single swipe. His blade bit into its flesh, with a squelch. He continued on to saw through the neck bone._

"_A little macabre, don'tcha think," he heard a voice question, not too far off from where he stood. He looked up to see a girl, who appeared to be around the same age as he. She hopped off the hood of the car that she sat on and crossed the street, closing the distance between them. "What kind of demon kills his own kind and collects their heads as trophies?"_

"_My kind, huh?" Dante absently said, as he continued to hack away at the corpse. Finally, the head was loosed from its shoulders and Dante yanked it up by the tuft of fur on its head. "Got it," he said to himself with a triumphant grin. He then turned to the girl. She had no remarkable features about her. She stood at an unassuming five feet and five inches, with shoulder length brunette hair. She was no prettier and no uglier than the girls at his high school. In fact, she would fit in just fine._

"_Didn't your parents ever teach you that spying is impolite," He finally directed his words to her._

"_I apologize for my lack of home-training," she replied with mock cordiality, "I don't have any parents, they were killed by demons like you."_

She wouldn't, _the thought trailed off as Dante caught the slivery glint of a weapon being released from its home, in the small of her back. "Now, you have two options. You can either go quietly or..."_

"_Straight to the point, huh? No foreplay? Sounds like no fun, but I like a girl who know what she likes," an arrogant grin crept across his face. _

_She only scoffed in disgust, "I have no interest in devils like you."_

"_Meh... your loss." Dante turned and slung his sword over his shoulder and picked up the head. He had no idea who or what she was, but something about her didn't sit right with him. She was a normal human being in passing... normal enough. When she launched at him with inhuman speed, Dante began rethinking his position on the idea. _She would,_ he thought._

_He quickly dropped his shoulder and the head as he dodged a near stab to the back. She gained her footing, and lunged at him again with her silver dagger. He easily caught her attacking arm by the wrist in mid-swing. "Who are you," he asked, azure eyes narrowing at her. He pulled her arm around her back, careful not to break it but with enough force to make her drop the weapon._

_He kicked it a few feet away from where they were standing. He tugged a little harder at her arm and stabbed his sword into the ground. _

"_Ahhh," she screamed in pain._

"_Answer me! Who are you? Why are you after me," he quizzed._

"_I'd rather die than dishonor my brothers and sisters in arms!"_

"_Listen babe, who said anything dying? I'm not killing anyone."_

"_You half-breeds are all the same. You weasel your way in, trying to blend in with the rest of humanity only to attack it in the end. You talk about not killing anybody, but you all do. You always do. It's our job to make sure you monsters never harm a single human."_

_Dante taken aback at what she said. It dredged up old memories of being called a freak and a monster when he was younger. Those old emotions that he thought he had buried long ago surfaced once more. It affected him so much that he had unconsciously loosened his grip on the girl. She took the opening and slipped away towards the dagger._

_She roll to it and struck back into his direction with the speed and tenacity of a deadly cobra. Dante had by then brought himself out his inopportune reverie, just in time to dodge another attack. As her arm sail through the air with the dagger in tow, Dante could feel the heat radiating off of it. It was almost as if was specifically made to seriously hurt a demon. She swung again, reversing her stride with the blade grazing his skin this time._

_Dante sharply winced as the dagger made contact. It felt like someone was trying to set him on fire! _What kind of weapon is this, _he questioned inside his own mind. The girl, once again, stabbed wildly in his direction with the broadside passing across his field of vision. That's when he saw it, the insignia, engraved just near the hilt. It was designed like a knight's coat of arms. It, however, depicted a man battling a beast with ancient runes encircling the scene._

Paladin_, he thought as he winced at another glancing blow. He had only heard stories about them indiscriminately killing demons. That's exactly what he thought of them, only stories; little fairy tales that demonesses told their young so that they would eat their vegetables and go to bed on time. Never had he thought that he would have to do battle against one._

_She made another reversal, which Dante deflected by pushing her arm off course. She was making it hard for him to comply with his self-imposed law of not harming humans. He had simply planned to knock her unconscious and run, but that idea was proving to be more and more impossible by the second._

_Another pass was made at Dante. He countered by grabbing her wrist again, but this time twisting her around so that her back was to him. He firmly held her armed hand. They were so close that she could hear his heart pounding his chest._

"_Look," he began, nearly growling in anger, "I don't want hurt you. I have never harmed a human... at least without good cause and you are really... really close to being that cause. Go home! You have no idea what you are dealing with out here. You are just a girl and an inexperienced fighter to boot. One of these days you are going run into a less-than-tolerant demon who won't hesitate to claw your throat out. You really should quit while you are ahead of the game."_

"_This is no _game_. This is _my_ life and we are born to obliterate all abominations like you!" As she ended her reply, Dante felt a searing pain in his side. He looked up to see that he still gripped the hand that clasped onto the dagger, which well was out of reach of an immediate attack. He then looked down at the wound where the girl had a converse grasp onto another dagger. "Never underestimate a human," she ground out._

_He wanted to cry out, to scream in pain, but Dante found that he no longer had a voice. She twisted the blade in farther, forcing him to drop her hand. The wound and organs underneath were on fire. Muscles involuntarily contracted and twitched like rapid fire as he let loose another silent scream. She then turned to face him, never letting go of the dagger. She shifted the bulk of her weight onto him causing tumble backwards and slide off the blade._

_With a single, fluid motion, the girl flicked the excess blood off her daggers and slid them home against the small of her back, much like an Iaido. She watched her prey struggle to breathe with the fascination of a serial killer and the disgust for his kind plastered on her face. She approached him and straddled him across his chest. She grabbed his chin and turned his head to face her. _

"_Does it hurt," she questioned in mock sympathy, "I can only imagine the anguish you must be in. You need not worry about this for long. The magic that is imbued with my weapon will ultimately kill a demon, but not before allowing them to _feel_ the agony he has put humans through. First it paralyzes you, and then it keeps you awake and alert up until you die."_

_Breathing was already difficult without her sitting on his chest. Whatever the spell was that graced her blades; it had sapped him of all of his energy. He couldn't even lift a finger to summon Rebellion, which lay somewhere near him. He could feel it near, probably a foot away. He hated this feeling, of being so helpless._

_As she spoke he could only stare straight ahead, unable to blink or shift his eyes to another direction. She leaned an ear of his lips as her hair came into his view. Soon his breath only came out in hoarse rasps._

"_This is end, my friend," she said standing up to leave, "the inevitable has come. Soon another devil with the face of an angel will be gone from this world." He noticed a little sadness in her eyes. He chocked it up to the mere fact that his torture was over. Whatever the reason was, he dropped the issue when he realized the pool of blood collecting under his body. The thought crossed his mind about who he was. He wasn't completely a human, nor was he a demon. He figured that if the magic didn't kill him soon, the fact that he was bleeding out would get him in the end. Still, he refused to accept it._

This isn't right_; he thought as he stared into the night sky,_ I don't want to die. Not here, not now! Not to her. I have to keep moving. _Dante took a deep breath and in a last ditch effort, he channeled all of his rage into willing himself to move..._

"It took me a full week to heal from that attack and I even still bare the scars. I didn't tell you before, because I didn't want you needlessly paranoid."

"That is such a cop-out Dante. Did you think that what I didn't know couldn't hurt me? Or was it that you thought I couldn't handle the news? 'Don't worry your little pretty head about it, Lady' huh? Well that's bullshit! You should have been square with me from the beginning. You should have let me lift at least _some_ of the burden." Lady went utterly ballistic. Her aura flared so much that even Dante could feel it.

"You weren't in any immediate danger," he replied.

"Wrong. Any human that is associated with a demon is at risk. You said so yourself. Why can't you just trust me?" Her expression softened and her aura calmed.

Dante took a deep breath and then revealed a nugget of knowledge, "That bar the other night... There was a paladin trailing me. I sensed him at the bookstore before that. You know that feeling that you get, like someone is watching you?"

"Yeah?"

"Pay attention to it, it could very well save your life."

There was a long pause before Dante spoke up again.

"Lady," Dante said with same seriousness in his voice, "I didn't tell you that to scare you. I just don't want you to be as reckless as I was. I could have easily died that night, but somehow, I didn't. If you ever cross paths with a paladin, don't stay and fight... just run. It's the only way to guarantee your survival."

"Even that's not much of a guarantee," Vergil said as he leaned against the kitchen's doorjamb with a cup of coffee in hand.

"How long have you been standing there," Dante asked, not once glancing in Vergil's direction.

"Oh, somewhere around you getting your ass handed to you by an inexperienced fighter," Vergil coolly replied as he took a sip.

_Damn eavesdropper_, Dante mentally complained.

"Human or not, dear little brother, I can still hear you," Vergil commented along with a tap of his index finger against his temple.

"What the hell, man?! What about our agreement?"

"Don't look at me, Dante. It is possible that your mental blocks left along with your abilities, leaving you more like an open book." Dante only scowled in response. Vergil then turned his attention to Lady, "You'll need to learn how to fight."

She quickly took offense to his statement and angrily ground out, "I already know how."

"Yes, to human standards. Can you handle yourself as a devil?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Show me."

"This, I've got to see," Dante gathered his crutches to follow the pair into the basement.

Some moments later Dante sat himself on the stairs. Lady readied herself into a boxing-like fighting stance while Vergil chose none at all. The pretentious bastard.

"All you'll have to do is land a single blow," Vergil explained with a calm even voice, "Are you ready?"

"Bring it on, devil boy."

"Come at me."

Lady lunged with at him with such speed that she could scarcely understand how she was able to clear the gap in no time at all. She cocked an arm back for a super-powered punch. Vergil had no problem in catching her fist in mid-stream and flipping her to the floor.

"Lesson one: know your enemy," Vergil preached, "You attack with such impetuosity, a fool's folly. This will be your downfall. Have you thoroughly watched my movements? Have you tried to deduce which actions I will take? Get up. TRY AGAIN!"

"Shut up," her blood boiled. However, she could not shake that the man had a point. She had not faced Vergil since Temen-ni-gru and in all honesty, she had no idea if he had gained any new abilities. In hindsight, facing a weaker opponent would have been the more prudent choice, rather than the gold-standard fighter that was Vergil.

She gathered herself up from the sparring mat, staring daggers at Vergil.

"Is that supposed to scare me," he commented.

She growled and charged again, to which he easily sidestepped the attack.

"Lesson two: keep your cool. Don't let your enemies rile you up. Anger makes you sloppy. AGAIN!"

If she wanted to wipe the smirk off of Vergil's smug face before, imagine what she wanted to do now. Lady hopped onto her feet and sprang into action once again.

Vergil formed a spectral sword and launched it his ebony-haired opponent. It hurtled at the woman with such speed and ferocity that she could scarcely react.

Dante averted his gaze, not wanting see the moment of impact. Lady let out a blood curdling scream.

"Lesson three," he heard Vergil speak in a detached manner, "duck."

* * *

There must be a blue moon, because I just updated. :P

So, who will emerge the winner? Tune in next time...


	6. Unwilling Pupil

Chapter 6: Unwilling Pupil

Lady's terrified shrieks echoed throughout the shop. Even Trish was compelled to leap from her comfortable perch at the top floor and spring into action. She sped from the spare room where she had taken up residence, jumped across the various lobby furniture like hurdles. She rocketed down to the basement, where she had almost tripped over Dante, who was like a lump on the narrow wooden steps. Once Trish regained her footing on the final landing, she panted with chest heaving and eyes wide as saucers, "What happened? What's going on?!"

She swiveled her neck into every conceivable direction with her blonde locks cascading onto her shoulders as she did so. Who could blame her? She heard someone screaming as if they were being murdered in the basement of the very shop she called home. It was enough for someone as apathetic as her to come running to the rescue. Her baby blue eyes rested onto Vergil who held out a calm hand to Lady who was crumpled against a wall.

For a moment, the tense silence permeated the air and everyone stood frozen in place as if time itself had stopped.

"Open your eyes," Vergil's soothing voice broke the pause.

Never had he spoken in that way. It was almost as if he was attempting to coax a frightened animal out of its hiding spot. Lady was taken aback by the soft tone he gave. No malice, viciousness or even sarcasm was given in the way he spoke. Even Dante had to turn to face Vergil to make sure that it was indeed his twin speaking.

"Open your eyes," Vergil repeated. She hesitated but ultimately obeyed. She slowly peeled her heterochromatic eyes open to see that the spectral sword that he had summoned remained hovering mere inches from her face.

Lady was at a lost for words... or screams for that matter. Her lips opened and closed like fish out of water. She watched in awe and with some degree of fear as Vergil allowed it to disappear in swirls of a glassy blue powder.

There was a pregnant pause before he finally spoke up, "Remember that control is the key to anyone's power. It is control that keeps me from bringing harm on civilians and my colleagues in the field. Considerable concentration keeps Trish from overloading the electricity in a room or Dante from crushing a doorknob when entering through a doorway... Or at least it did at any rate. Nevertheless, the point is that you will need to get in control if you hope to survive. We shall continue this tomorrow." Without another word, Vergil turned and climbed the stairs out of the basement.

Lady cast her gaze to the floor still in contemplation of Vergil's 'lessons'.

"You okay," Dante asked Lady; "I know that he can be a cold asshole, but he's also a wise asshole. If ya wanna learn from the best, then it doesn't get much better than Verge... Well, besides yours truly." Dante thumbed himself in the chest with a grin. "Hey, don't let it get you down. You'll get it."

Lady looked up to see Dante balancing on a single crutch while holding a hand out to help her up. She gave a light smirk at the sight. Even willing to help when injured. Surely the man had a 'shining knight complex.' Well, at least chivalry wasn't dead. She took the offered hand and pulled herself up. She remained clamped on as she gazed into his eyes.

"Um... Lady?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't feel my fingers... you're crushing my hand." She promptly dropped his pale hand and watched as its digits began to flush with color again. He shook and flexed his fingers in an attempt to dissipate the stinging sensation of pins and needles.

"I'm sorry."

"Its okay," Dante smiled, "You're still learning. Besides, it's not like its broken or anything." Her eyes flitted down to his leg. He realized where her gazed fell and where her mindset went. He quickly went at damage control raising his hands up in a placating fashion, "Th-that's not what I mean... I didn't mean to—"

"—Its not that," Trish cut in for a moment. They had almost forgotten that she was standing there, "I think she's realizing now what its like to be a demon."

Dante clicked his tongue as a thought came to mind. He then said, "Don't sweat the small stuff. Follow me. Lemme show you something." He collected his crutches and began hobbling his way out of the basement. The girls followed the ex-hybrid to the kitchen. Dante promptly went to work at digging in the refrigerator.

"Dante, what are you doing," Lady questioned with annoyance creeping in her voice.

"Patience ladies, patience," Dante responded as he limped to a cabinet and produced a glass. He made his way to the kitchen table with a glasses and a bottle of beer. He set the two items down in front of himself and motioned for Lady to sit across from him.

"What is this," Trish leaned against the doorjamb, "In case you haven't realized it, Shug, you aren't Vergil. So that means that you are not exactly qualified to hold an etiquette class."

"Hardy, har har," Dante replied with the roll of his glacial eyes. He then turned his attention to Lady and twisted the cap off the bottle. He slid the glass and bottle closer to her and said, "Go ahead and pour yourself a glass, babe."

She glanced at the bitter beverage and then lifted her questioning heterochromatic eyes at Dante. She then shifted them to Trish. The blonde stood in the doorway equally curious as to what Dante was up to.

"C'mon," Dante knifed into the silence, "humor me will ya. I promise there's a point to this."

Lady grudgingly brought a hand up to oblige his request. She reached out and wrapped her petite hands around the two objects. No sooner had she done so, did they crumble in her hands as if they were made of dust.

She opened her hands and eyeballed the glass shards and the sticky liquid she held in utter astonishment.

"Uhh," Lady began, totally dumbfounded, "What just happened?"

Dante could have guffawed at the sight, but the girls both gave him the evil eye. He promptly snapped his mouth shut, but then began again, more sincerely, "Like my brother said, you have learn control and I'm gonna teach ya."

"What do you have in mind," Lady questioned almost too afraid to ask.

"I'm gonna teach you the way my mom taught me."

"I think he hit his head harder than we thought," Trish quipped.

Dante only replied with mock laughter and said, "Why don't you make yourself useful and get another beer."

The blonde scrunched up her nose and stuck out her tongue, but still obeyed. She came up behind Dante and for the briefest of moments, rested her ample cleavage on his shoulder as she placed the bottle down on the table. She could picture his crooked smirk along with the devious thoughts in his brain. She promptly smacked him on the back of the head.

"Shouldn't you be focusing on Lady," her velvety voice whispered into his ear.

Dante cleared his throat and straightened up himself to explain the lesson. "Mom probably got tired of me destroying my toys, so she took it upon herself to teach me how to have some restraint over my grip. You gotta use finesse. Since you have enhanced strength, you'll have to learn how to channel it when you need it and use a feathered touch when you don't. Treat everything that's not trying to kill you like it has fragile stamped across. Treat it like a baby," Dante said as he rocked the brown bottle back and forth as if it were an infant. Dante gave up the 'baby' and motioned for Lady to attempt at grasping the bottle.

Lady reached out for it again. She grasped at the bottle and successfully opened it without having it shatter.

"Good job," Dante commented, "And now for the glass." Trish found one in the cabinet and placed it in front of Lady before going back to the doorjamb.

"No," Lady replied as she drew herself up from her seat, "this is ridiculous. I can't believe that you're making me do this." She threw her hands up, vaguely understanding, but not really _seeing_ the point of the exercise. "Look, I got a job lined up in about twenty minutes and _you_ can't afford for me to be late. It could take a while, so don't wait up."

Lady crossed the kitchen to the open doorway that led to the lobby/living area. Trish still continued to lazily lean against the doorjamb. She shifted her weight onto her right hip, giving her winning supermodel pose as she effectively blocked Lady's escape.

"You should really stick around," Trish evenly vocalized as her cerulean eyes burned into Lady's odd-colored ones.

"Move or I'll do it for you," Lady matched the blonde demoness' tone. Trish glanced over the brunette's shoulder to spy Dante's grim expression. He gave a slight nod and Trish slid out of Lady's way.

The brunette passed by, bumping shoulders with the blonde, and grabbed Kalina Ann. She easily hefted it onto her shoulder. The rocket launcher weighed almost as much as she did. Just yesterday it had been a quiet struggle to maneuver it in battle, but if just a moment ago gave any indication, tonight's job was going to be child's play. Lady gave a slight pause in her stride and inwardly smirked. She turned her head as if to say something to the occupants of the kitchen, but promptly closed her mouth. Lady continued on out of the door and fearlessly into the night.

"Why'd you let her go," Trish asked with her back to white-haired hunter.

He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his snowy hair, "I've known Lady ever since I was a still a kid. She is still just as stubborn and bull-headed as the day I met her."

"She still can't control _your_ powers, Dante. Imagine the collateral damage you cause on a regular basis with total command over your inner devil. Now, imagine what could happen tonight. She may as well be a ticking time-bomb. We _need_ to stop her."

"Agh," he grunted in frustration as he scratched his head, "You're right." He hated being wrong almost as much as not being able to foresee or anticipate something. Poor Lady. She was probably still in denial. What made him think that she would just accept being a demon? Didn't he have ongoing issues with accepting it himself?

"This goes far beyond crushing a bottle of beer. What if she ends up accidentally Triggering tonight?"

As the words left Trish's lips Dante's heart sank. She watched as he visibly paled. He thought about the first time he triggered and then his mind came back to her. Not only did he fear for any innocent bystanders at the moment, but it still drew back to _her_. He remembered how scared he was when it first happened and he remembered how it felt to have small pieces of his humanity stripped away as he continued to use it. He knew what it was like to have a part of him die while his inner devil flourished.

He hated his Devil Trigger and he resented it more when he needed to use it in dire situations. To him, the only purpose that his Trigger served was to prove that he wasn't strong enough without it. It proved that he would be dead without it. Above all, it was still an issue of control. He was truly terrified that he could very well one day, lose it all to the devil inside him. He once voiced the concern to Trish, telling her that should he fully embrace his demonic side, she should kill him. The rational was simple enough... He may not fully come back from it and he would be one less demon set loose upon the Human World.

She had argued against it, but gave in. If the time did ever come, she would grant him a quick and painless death. It would be the least she could do.

It all flickered across his mind and the smallest of tears stung at his eyes. He fought them back and said with the situation's gravity palpable in his voice, "Then I hope for her sake that she doesn't discover how to use it. With all of the animosity she has for demons, I _know_ she will truly hate herself if she becomes one."

* * *

_Well, now... It's been a while. What can I say? Last semester has left me kinda burnt out and work has left me angry. Coming back to writing (what I love), has been a slow process. But I'm finally back. _

_As you can see, months off the site has left me a little out of practice. So, I hope I have done decently and my wish is that you have enjoyed it. Reviews? _


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